Alex Luck//Hearst Owned

Thyme and Sherry-Glazed Turkey

If you prefer to stuff your bird under the skin, use our Pork and Apricot Stuffing mixture, remembering to weigh your turkey once stuffed to calculate cooking time.

By The Good Housekeeping Cookery TeamUpdated: 20 July 2022

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Always buy the best quality turkey you can afford – the flavour and texture of the meat and the juiciness will be your reward.

For this year's main event, we have glazed our turkey with sherry, marmalade and mustard and rubbed it in clementine juice, thyme and butter.

Follow our turkey cooking guide for the perfect bird every Christmas meal.

Cooking notes: plus coming up to room temperature and resting

For more inspiration check out our best Christmas turkey recipes.

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Yields:

8 serving(s)

Prep Time:

20 mins

Cook Time:

3 hrs 25 mins

Total Time:

3 hrs 45 mins

Cal/Serv:

303

Ingredients

5
.4kg free-range turkey, giblets removed
2
carrots, halved lengthways
2
large onions, cut into thick slices
2
clementines or satsumas
Small handful thyme sprigs
50 g
butter, softened

For the glaze

75 ml
dry sherry (not cream)
3 Tbsp.
marmalade
1 Tbsp.
Dijon mustard

Directions

1. Step 1One hour before cooking, remove turkey from fridge and remove any wrappings or trussing. Pat dry with kitchen paper and use tweezers to pull out any stray feathers. Allow turkey to come up to room temperature. Weigh turkey and calculate cooking time, allowing 30-35min per kg.
2. Step 2Preheat oven to 190°C (170°C fan) mark 5. Scatter carrots and onions into base of a large sturdy roasting tin and sit turkey on top (breast up). Slice 1 clementine in ½ and pop both pieces into the turkey cavity along with ½ the thyme sprigs. Loosely tie legs together with kitchen string.
3. Step 3Finely zest and juice remaining clementine and mix with the softened butter, some seasoning and leaves picked from remaining thyme sprigs (don’t worry, it won’t come together well). Rub all over turkey and loosely cover turkey and tin with foil. Roast for calculated time.
4. Step 4Meanwhile, make the glaze. In a small pan, heat the sherry and bubble for 3-5min to intensify. Add the marmalade and mustard, stirring to dissolve. Bubble for 2min; set aside.
5. Step 5Forty-five min before the turkey is due to be ready, remove foil and brush glaze all over bird (there should be some glaze left). Return bird to the oven (without foil), and repeat glazing after 20min.
6. Step 6To check the turkey is cooked, insert a fork into the thickest part of the breast and check that the juices run golden and clear. If not, return the bird to the oven and keep checking every 10min. Alternatively, use a meat thermometer – the temperature needs to be at least 72°C when inserted into the thickest part of the breast.
7. Step 7Transfer turkey to a board, cover well with foil and lay on a couple of clean tea towels to help keep the heat in. Leave to rest in a warm place for at least 30min or up to 1¼hr. If you like, you can add any resting juices to the Onion Porcini Gravy.
8. Step 8To serve, unwrap turkey and transfer to a warm platter. Garnish with fried clementine wedges and thyme sprigs and serve with Onion Porcini Gravy and sides.